Fast pace cellshading flying action. Soar the skies as you take on the most vicious enemies above the ground. Experience an airborne adventure in an all new art style that will take you to something different and exciting. With the possibility to add just about anything you can imagine into the game, the sky it's not the limit. It's just the beginning.

It has been a while since the last report.
It is almost becoming a tradition when a new aircraft is planned; the following reports become a bit more delayed than usual.
So, while the promised Jaguar is still being developed, this updated steps in to bring more additions in game mechanics, more weapons and other variants.

This update also fixes some bugs that resulted in occasional crashes in the campaign mode. The testing time will also be increased from here on to avoid missing bugs created by the addition of new game mechanics.

Other important aspect to be mentioned, while it is not something new, this this update will add several aircrafts that were already mentioned in the past reports, but were not yet included in the game, those aircrafts are:MiG-29M
MiG-29SMT
MiG-29OVT
MiG-35
YF-104
F-104D
F-104S
F-104S ASA

Now for the new additions:

This mechanic was intended to be added at some time, while it is not used for now, it will be useful for future campaigns.
It can have multiple uses, can be used to keep tack of the past actions in order to create with more ease and flexibility campaigns with multiple routes, or in an more abstract sense it can be used to create the traditional karma system of some games.

A small but very useful addition, with this change it is now possible to set any unit as immortal or mortal in any point of a mission. This will likely play an important role in pot driven campaigns.
Use this line in creating a unit as default:“#_Actor_Immortal=true”
Or this line when creating the unit by an action:“#_Action_Immortal=true”

But something important to consider, an immortal unit doesn’t mean it is impermeable to damage, it can still take damage but only will not die.
If the immortal state is removed latter in the mission be sure to restore the HP of the unit after that.

Other more relevant and immediately usable addition is the hangar filter, if a campaign or battle scenario has a list with aircrafts were there is a considerable amount of variants, the game will automatically add a quick family filter to make the aircraft selection easier.

Be aware that with this addition the skin selection controls have changed a little.

There was added more control in this department, now all units have different radar detection ranges and lock speed for air and ground objects. This will help expanding the strengths and vulnerability’s of some aircrafts’’ electronics.

With this improvement, the aircrafts can also different missile detection ranges and tracking warnings, however for now, this system does not make yet any distinction from active, semi-active and passive homing systems.

Other gameplay addition, mentioned several times by “MyHatismyFriend”, is to make the aircraft default speed be affected by the aircraft orientation.
Now the aircrafts no longer stay fixed at 600km/h regardless of their pitch, depending of the aircraft these changes of speed can be subtle or more severe.
Also, considering the last improvement in the projectiles, the relative height that you engage the enemy plays even stronger strategic relevance and can place you in a slight advantage or disadvantage towards the enemy

Just to warn, some aircraft’s loadouts have been changed. There were some variants that had too similar or identical loadouts.

And now, the content additions:

The Aspide MK.1 is Semi-active air-to-air missile with comparable role as the AIM-7.
It is used by the F-104S

While the Aspide Mk.2 is an immediate evolution of the mk.1, it plays a different role as it used an active radar detection and it is capable of engaging multiple targets.
Never went to production.
Usable by the F-104S ASA.

A variant of the GBU-15 bomb, but with a rocket strapped bellow to allow it reach longer ranges.
It will be used by the A-10C.

Almost identical to the AGM-130A, however the different electronics makes it possible the AGM-130LW to be used by single seat aircrafts.
This weapon will be used by the F-15U that was added in the previous report.

Speaking of the F-15U, to complete this development line it was added the F-15U+.

The f-15U Plus is the direct evolution of the F-15U, with a more radical wing design to greatly improve the air to ground capabilities.

It can caries more weapons and the wings provide greater stability at lower speeds.
This can be considered one of the best variants with the attacker role of the f-15 family, but while this is a variant that pushes the strike capabilities to the limit it can fare pretty well against air targets

Other aircraft also a concept and with similar role:

The J-35 Mod Level 4 it was supposed to be the final evolution of the J-35 with more maneuverability and more capable electronics than any other variant..

This aircraft have a little particularity, the canards are retractable, but as they are in the direct line of fire of the cannons, they must be stored inside in order to allow the cannons to fire with the expense of losing maneuverability.
As the special function option is not yet implemented for aircrafts, this aircraft is for the time being will be stripped of the sub weapons.

This update will also add a new line of evolution of the F-15 variants:

The F-15J is a variant derived from the F-15C.

While with external appearance it is almost identical, it has different electronics and it can use different weapons loadouts.

One of the different weapons is the AAM-3, it fits the same role as the AIM-9L.

Other weapon is the AAM-4, it is comparable to the AIM-7.

On the other hand, for the XAAM-5, the only comparable missile in the game so far is the R-60M.
Both are very maneuverable and very effective to be used in dogfights, however the R-60M is intended to be used ad close ranges, while the prototype missile XAAM-5 is intended to be used at close-medium range.

The next step of this evolution line:

The F-15J Kai, it has new engines and more improved electronic updates.

Not this is not an official designation, but is a compilation of different upgrade programs such as MTDP, MSIP and IRST sensor. In particular this last one expands the aircraft locking capabilities making it even more deathly against other fighters.

To match this improved version, it can carry the completed version of the XAAM-5.
The AAM-5 is visually the same but with slightly better specs.

And finally, to complete this update’s lineup, the first fictional aircrafts in the game:

Most of you may recognize this design.

To be more accurate, this variant was not derived from regular F-15J, but instead, it is derived from the true F-15J Kai.
The F-15 family has a strong variety of aircrafts focused in air to air battle, but the F-15J Kai Plus is most likely one of the best fighters in all the family.

As a final note, several people requested more tutorials and modding information.
The game also reached a state were the earliest information provided is now outdated or lacking.
In addition to that, there are several game mechanics present and fully functional in the game, however, the default content does not yet makes use of such functionalities and there is none or almost none information to help the modding community used them, making this additions appear to be somewhat pointless.
So, to change this, the following weeks will be less focused in making big updates and instead will be more directed in proving more information and tutorials to help modding the game.
More missions are likely to be added as well to serve as examples.

Yeah, I'm not sure how many people have seen Patlabor 2... I know I haven't, I had to look the thing up to find out where the design was from. Definitely interesting though. (P.S. Still waiting for the F-8...)

That's the interesting thing I'm learning about this Kai Plus, I'm seeing at least three different takes on the design (In model kits), but without actually watching Patlabor 2, I don't know which one is closest to the real deal.

What is being presented as I can see is using a more flat body and engine housing, as comparable to this: Pds2.egloos.com

Two others are similar to each other, but have more round housings like what we are used to: Pds.egloos.com

How close the lineart matches with the movie design, again, I can't say. I said this on the TimeSymmetry site, and I think what you're seeing as odd is similar to what I mentioned, that being the angle of the tailfins. Nonetheless, this is an interesting design, but the steepness is the one thing most different from the model kits, and the detail I'm not finding myself too fond of.

Also note how the first model is of a single-seater, and the second is of a two-seater, so now things got even MORE complicated. Here's a link that has a few more images. Secretprojects.co.uk Looking at the images, it seems that it's supposed to be a single seat aircraft, but has the more rounded engine housings of the two seat model you posted... So, yeah...